The Truth is the Lie
by WintersLastStand
Summary: Matt Murdock and Karen Page are plagued by the weight of their secrets. The heavy burden, the isolation, and the constant vigilance wear them down. But, is revealing the truth a way out? Or will they lose the thing they want the most? Matt/Karen.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This story takes place post Season 1. I'm planning on having 10 chapters total. Thanks so much for reading and please review if you want!**_

He could smell her from his office. The scents he'd come to associate with Karen Page soothed him. Coconut in her hair, vanilla on her skin. He could detect the rich leather of her shoes and the synthetic vinyl of her purse. She moved like a song; verse and chorus.

He heard her digging for something in her desk and waited as the shift in fabric would bring the scent of her again through his office door and to his nose. He could almost time the exact second it would reach him.

Except instead of the familiar combination of laundry detergent and skin lotion, he smelled something totally unexpected; gunpowder.

He stood up, senses immediately alert. Before he realized what he was doing, he strode forward to the door connecting his office to her domain.

"Karen?"

"Yeah?" She answered, distractedly as she continued to dig through another drawer.

Matt hadn't actually planned what to say next. Clearly, there was no eminent threat, yet the distinct smell remained. "Um, was someone here?" He finished, lamely.

Karen looked around, confused. Even if she hadn't been acquainted with Matt's extraordinary sense of hearing, she's pretty sure he wouldn't have missed someone entering and exiting their small office.

"No. Just me."

Matt could feel himself frowning and forced his face to relax. "Yeah, sorry. I thought…" he trailed off and waved a hand in the air to signal his dismissal of the topic.

"Um, I was just about to head out for the night. Are you heading home?"

Matt listened to her voice. It belayed no hint of a lie, yet something was off. "Oh, um, no. I have a little more work to get through first."

"Okay." She answered in her soft, shy voice.

Matt turned and went back to his desk as Karen performed her usual rituals of closing up shop. Finally, he heard her heels move to the doorway as she exited. He thought about calling Foggy to see if he knew anything, but what could he really ask? Besides, at this particular moment, Foggy was grabbing dinner with his former and current girlfriend, Marcy. Who was he to stand in the way of true love?

xXx

The night was surprisingly quiet and Matt felt restless as a result. Not that he was looking forward to punching people in the face, but he couldn't deny it was a decent outlet for stress. Still, he had the satisfaction of stopping an attempting mugging as well as a break-in, so it wasn't a total loss.

He walked along the edge of the rooftop across from his building, letting his senses open to the world around him. He could call it a night, and go home. It was late, and even criminals needed to go to bed eventually, but instead he stayed where he was, listening.

Across town, Karen was, at this very moment, face-planting into a mat as her arms were pinned behind her back.

"Again!"

Karen felt the release of her arms and rolled her sore shoulders. She got to her feet slowly and resumed her 'ready' position for the hundredth time tonight. Her weight automatically shifted to the balls of her feet when she saw her instructor begin to move and come toward her. This time, she spun away and swept his leg out from under him, dropping him on his ass.

Of course, it wasn't as simple as that. He sprang to his feet almost instantly and grabbed for her wrist. She evaded again and spun, attempting to land her padded elbow into the man's face.

"Good, Page." He grunted as she sucker punched him in the gut.

The whistle stopped their scuffle immediately. Both instructor and student turned to face the man at the front of the small classroom.

"Good work tonight, guys. See you next week."

Karen smiled shyly at her partner and then bent to pick up her towel and water bottle.

"You're getting better."

Karen looked up at the man. This was her second time working with Alex. He was quiet, mostly and that appealed to her immediately. She was tired of having to be evasive. After all, most people ended up in a self-defense class for obvious reasons and the last thing she wanted to talk about was her reason.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"You should lose the ponytail, though."

"What?" She paused, confused.

"It's too easy to grab." He demonstrated with a lightning quick hand to her hair where he gave it a gentle tug before releasing it.

"Oh." She could feel the heat rise into her cheeks as she blushed. "Thanks."

Alex ducked his head, "sure." He moved away from her and then turned back with a quick, "See ya next week, Page."

Karen nodded and fought her lips from curving into a smile. She didn't know if it was crossing a line to flirt with your self-defense instructor. It felt like it should be a rule or something, like a HIPAA violation. Still, something fluttered in her chest; something that hadn't fluttered in a long time.

Of course her thoughts turned immediately to Matt. His face jumped into her consciousness. She'd thought they'd started something the day they'd put the new sign on the building. She hadn't imagined it. His hand holding hers, his smile. It had been real. But so far, nothing had come of it.

Matt had gone on just being 'Matt.' Cryptic, quiet, and thoroughly impenetrable. She'd tried a few times to start conversations that had nothing to do with Fisk or work or the devil of Hell's Kitchen, but they'd stalled out and soon they'd fallen back into familiar and comfortable patterns.

xXx

The following morning, Matt could feel the heat of healing bruises on her body. That, coupled with the cautious way she was moving was enough to have him officially concerned.

"Coffee?"

He looked up to the sound of her voice. He hadn't heard her move to his doorway.

"Oh, um, sure. Thanks."

"I didn't mean to startle you. Sorry." She said as her soft footfalls moved to the coffee machine.

Matt rose and followed her. "It's fine. You're not wearing your heels."

"I um, twisted my ankle a little. It's fine."

Matt could hear the lie in her heartbeat and feel the heat of her blush simultaneously. He stood still, listening as she prepared the coffee.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

"Here." She moved his hand to the mug of coffee. "I'm fine."

Matt had no choice but to accept her answer. For now.

xXx

Matt threw back the shot that Foggy placed in front of him. He'd never been much of a drinker, but right now, he didn't care. He couldn't help the feeling that the chasm between he and Karen was growing wider by the day. Even now, at Josie's her absence was felt. Foggy had invited her, of course, but she'd make an excuse about taking a cycling class at the gym.

"So."

Matt turned to his friend, trying to remember what they'd been talking about. "Sorry, Fog. What?"

"What's the matter? You've been distracted all day."

"Nothing. It's just strain from the Morales case."

"What are you worried about, buddy? It's in the bag." Foggy said as he clinked his beer mug to Matt's.

It was true, Matt thought. The company that had fired Maria Morales was offering a nice settlement now that digital recordings had somehow come to light to help prove that Maria had been repeatedly sexually harassed. She'd complained through the proper channels for months, to no avail. Finally, she'd reached out to Nelson & Murdock and had consequently been terminated.

Maria had been eager to accept the settlement and move on with her life. Matt couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of relief that they'd too receive their twenty five percent commission and could finally afford to pay themselves as well as some past due bills.

"It's too bad Karen couldn't join us." Matt said and could practically feel Foggy's eyes move to his face. "I mean, she was a huge part of getting Maria to file the complaint. I'm not sure she would've without Karen."

"Yeah." Foggy said as he drained his beer. "Definitely a good move hiring her." Foggy raised his hand to signal for two more beers.

"Does she seem okay?"

"Karen? Why?"

"No reason. Just checking."

"Can't you just, you know, scan her vital signs or something?"

Matt frowned. He'd wanted desperately to get back to their easy friendship before Foggy knew the truth about Matt's alter ego. Foggy had tried, Matt had to give him that, but still bitterness bled though from time to time.

"She's been quiet. That's all."

Foggy slid the beer over to Matt's hand from habit. "Seems okay to me. Did you ask her?"

"No, not really. I was just wondering. I know she talks to you sometimes."

Foggy smirked. "Only about you."

"What?" Matt could hear the slight slurring in his partner's voice and knew Foggy would most likely not be making such a confession had he been entirely sober.

"Not too much anymore, but in the beginning. She asked a lot of questions."

Matt felt his stomach drop. Did Karen suspect?

Foggy quickly rushed on, "No, not about the devil stuff," he whispered, "more about your love life."

Matt choked on his beer. "My love life?"

"In case you couldn't tell," Foggy rolled his eyes, "she likes you."

Matt smiled at Foggy's exaggerated tone. "I don't know."

"Oh please."

"What? She's our employee, Fog. I don't think it's appropriate."

"Yeah, you have real clear lines about right and wrong."

Matt sobered immediately. "Foggy—"

"Sorry." Foggy muttered and sipped his beer. "I should go. It's late." He stood and reached for his wallet.

Matt stood too, unsure of what else to say. For now, and maybe forever, this boulder might be in the path of their friendship.

"Take a cab, Fog. Be safe."

Foggy nodded, unsure of whether Matt could see, or feel, or whatever the gesture. "Same to you."

xXx

Matt opened his cane and let it lead him outside of Josie's and into the cold, crisp air of winter in New York. The freezing temperatures kept some of the more unpleasant smells at bay and for that he was thankful. Another benefit was that criminals tended to lighten up in the cold, too.

He began the walk home, letting the sounds wash over him. This was his city. He knew it like most people knew their childhood home. Its visceral memories were imprinted upon him. It was his home; his family.

He let those thoughts and feelings comfort him as he walked down the familiar sidewalk towards his loft apartment, all the while unaware of the woman watching him from across the street. Her long red hair was currently tucked up into a black beanie and her face was almost entirely hidden by the collar of her winter coat. Still, she knew that Matt could recognize her by other means if she dared draw closer.

She let him have a half a block lead, but otherwise kept pace with him. She couldn't answer the question that her own mind asked over and over again. Why. Why was she following him? What did she want?

She'd been through enough this past year to ignore her instincts now. They'd kept her alive, of that she had no doubt. She'd known Wesley was lying when he said the gun was not loaded. And now, she trusted that same instinct. She didn't know why but she was certain that the man she was now shadowing was lying to her, too.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and especially for reviewing. It is greatly appreciated! Enjoy…**_

It was raining. In fact, it was pouring. Normally, Matt liked the rain, but there was something depressing about rain when there was already mounds of dirty snow on the ground. The rain only succeeded in making the filthy city filthier.

He could barely hear the sounds of his own footsteps in the beating of the rain. He'd given up the pretense of his cane for the moment. Of course he still held it in his hand; he couldn't risk be 'outed' by someone he knew, but he'd just sort of tucked it against his body for the time being as he quickened his pace towards his building.

The rain foiled him again in disguising his waiting visitor. It wasn't often that people got the jump on him these days, but perhaps the rain had washed away the sweet scent that meant Karen Page was waiting on the third floor just outside his door.

"Hi."

Matt stopped abruptly. "Karen?"

"Yeah." She laughed; nervous energy clear in her voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"The power's out in my building. The storm…" She trailed off, feeling suddenly ridiculous. "I just thought that maybe you'd want to grab a drink or something…you know, wait it out with me."

Matt said the first thing that came to his mind. "What about Foggy?"

He immediately heard the slow exhale of air and the acceleration of her heartbeat. "Oh, I didn't call him. I guess we should—"

"No." He answered quickly interrupting her. "I mean, he's all the way across town. Let's leave him alone. Besides, he's probably with Marci."

Karen laughed, "why'd you have to put that mental image in my head."

Matt laughed with her. "Let me just change out of these wet clothes."

Karen nodded and followed him inside after he unlocked the door. She was again struck by the brightness of the electric billboard that lit up his apartment. She watched as Matt walked to his bedroom and shut the barn-style door.

"There's an Irish pub on the corner. How's that sound?" He called from beyond the door.

Karen stopped and turned toward the door. "Sure. I mean, that's fine."

Karen was carefully inspecting all the different condiments and sauces kept in various trays on the counter when she looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Jesus." She said, not realizing she's spoken aloud.

"What?" Matt asked, startled.

Karen could feel her cheeks heat immediately. "Nothing! I mean, nothing's wrong."

Matt quirked an eyebrow over the rim of his red glasses. "What?"

Karen came toward him. "This is gonna sound stupid, but you look so young."

Now Matt was the one blushing. He hadn't given much thought to his wardrobe. His only thought had been to pull off his damp suit and put on something warm and comfortable. He went for his favorites; a broken-in pair of jeans and an old Columbia sweatshirt.

"Oh." He smiled. "Don't worry—they already know I'm old enough to drink at Molloy's."

Karen couldn't believe the transformation. She'd known Matt for a while but realized she'd only ever seen him in his dark suits. Except when she'd come over after the mysterious accident/fight he'd been in. Then it had been sweats, but his attire had been the very least of her observations that day.

"You ready?" Matt asked as he grabbed his coat.

"Oh, yeah." She said softly as she moved ahead of him and toward the door.

Karen was pleasantly surprised that he took her arm as they walked. Of course she tried not to read too much into it. She'd seen him do it with Foggy dozens of times and he'd done it with her a few times, too. Still, it felt a little different tonight. Maybe it was for the fact that they were huddled together under her umbrella dashing through the rain.

Finally, she saw the sign for the bar up ahead and pulled them to the left and into the pub. Karen pulled open the door and was immediately warmed by the heat. She could feel her muscles begin to uncoil as she peeled off her coat and stepped forward toward the bar.

"I thought maybe we should get a table." Matt said and gestured to the rows of two-tops against the opposite wall.

"Sure."

Karen again felt herself blush as they waited for the hostess to seat them. She watched as Matt exchanged pleasantries with a few staff members. She supposed he was hard to miss, after all. Finally, the older woman left them after giving Matt's hair an affectionate toss.

"I guess you're a regular." Karen said as she grabbed the beer list from the tabletop stand.

"Yeah. I come here for dinner now and then. I think they think of me as their stray dog."

Karen laughed. "Well, I guess it's nice to have a place where everybody knows your name."

"I see what you did there."

Karen smiled as another waitress came over to take their orders. Karen marveled at Matt's order of Jalapeño poppers, Shepard's Pie and a side of onion rings.

Karen decided on the Fish and Chips with a side salad. She watched as their beers were delivered and Matt deftly located his and took a long sip.

"You're staring." He said as he put down his mug.

"I'm not!" She laughed. Truthfully, she was a little.

"I can feel it."

"No you can't."

Matt smiled. "I guess you'll never know."

Karen playfully swatted his arm. "Okay, fine. I was—a little."

"Fair enough. I'm sure I'd be staring at you too, if, you know, I could stare."

Karen felt her heartrate jump. "You would?"

"I would." He smiled and reached across the table for her hand, but before she could reach out to him, he retracted it. "Food's here."

Karen turned and looked across the pub to see the waitress coming out of the kitchen with their food.

"How'd you know that?" Karen asked, stunned.

Matt only raised his shoulders in an 'I don't know' gesture. He waited until the waitress had placed their meals in front of them before finally releasing the breath he'd been holding. That had been a definite slip up. He chided himself for drinking his two beers so quickly on an empty stomach. Obviously the alcohol had lowered his defenses and if wasn't careful…well, he didn't even want to think about opening yet another can of worms. It was bad enough dealing with the fallout of Foggy finding out his secret.

Karen watched the proverbial wall go back up around him. Matt was such a difficult person to read and that was particularly frustrating considering she felt she was pretty damn good at it. She'd known he was a good man from the beginning. Foggy too, but Foggy was more playful, more demonstrative. Matt was a human barometer of good and evil. He just radiated with it. She watched him now as he dug into his Shepard's Pie. His movements were calm and calculated, but something else simmered just under the surface. That, she recognized immediately because lately, she'd felt it in herself too: rage.

She'd tried to lock away the memory of what she'd done to James Wesley. She pushed it into the far corner of her brain, but somehow, it leaked through the barrier at least a hundred times a day. Even now, as she and Matt were finishing up their meal, she could feel the vibration of the gun in her hand and smell the sharp metallic scent of blood in her nose.

Matt was standing to leave when he heard her breath hitch.

"Karen?"

"Yeah?" She answered cheerfully as she guided his hand to her elbow.

Matt swallowed, feeling a sudden coldness settle over her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, good." She grabbed her umbrella and began moving forward.

"You feel like you just saw a ghost." He said softly as they crossed the pub floor toward the door.

Karen felt her steps stutter. "What?"

"I don't know." Matt shook his head. "Nevermind."

Karen looked at him, but as usual, he was unreadable. She wasn't sure if it was the glasses, or his stoic expression, but she felt frustration bubble up inside her. She pushed through the door and led them outside into the dark, cold night.

"It stopped raining." Matt commented.

"Yeah, now it's just cold and we—"

Karen's voice caught in her throat as she felt an ominous presence behind her and then felt her purse being roughly pulled out of her grasp. Fortunately, she had the strap of the purse around her shoulder and the would-be robber hadn't managed to get it lower than her elbow.

She didn't think. Her hand flew to the man's wrist where she sank her nails into his flesh. She heard a satisfying yelp as he attempted to pull her purse again. Her other hand was flying now to connect to the man's nose when she felt herself moving backwards in the air.

Karen watched, astonished, as Matt grabbed the man around the throat and practically lifted him off the ground. His feet kicked violently as he frantically clawed at Matt's hands.

"Matt!" Karen pulled on his arm. She could feel the steel of his muscle beneath his sweatshirt. "Matt!" She yelled again.

Matt released his grip and the man took off down the street.

"Are you okay?" He turned toward her and reached out.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She repeated as she grasped his hand tightly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"I can't believe that just happened." She said, still stunned. She looked at her purse. It was a cheap knock-off that she'd purchased on a street corner a few months ago. It contained nothing more than a few cosmetics, tissues, and a wallet with just a few dollars in it. "It's not even worth stealing." She said, still examining the black bag.

Karen looked up and noticed Matt's serious expression. She recognized it immediately.

"Matt—"

"Karen, he could've hurt you. If that ever happens again, just let the purse—"

"What? No! I'm not gonna let some delinquent steal from me!"

Matt tried to disguise the smirk. He disagreed with her vehemently but he liked to see her fired up. "You've picked up a few moves, huh?" He positioned them back in the direction of his apartment and began walking.

"Oh, I…yeah."

"I can tell."

"What? How?"

"Your arm."

"My arm?"

"Yeah, you've got more definition there." He squeezed her arm for emphasis.

Karen felt embarrassment creeping its way up her throat when she remembered something. "How did you do that? How did you know where—"

"I just listened." He interrupted her. In the moment, he hadn't thought about his secret identity or keeping his abilities concealed. He'd only thought of her.

"You could _hear_ where he was?" She asked, astonished.

"It's not a big deal." Matt hurried his pace. "C'mon, let's get out of here in case he decides to make a second pass."

xXx

Matt walked toward the couch with two cups of tea. "Not exactly the best way to end an evening, but I guess it was memorable." He stopped near the edge of the couch. He knew she was sitting in the armchair with her legs tucked up under her.

"Karen?"

"Oh, sorry." She jumped up and reached for the tea. "Thanks."

Matt felt for the couch and sat. He listened as she sipped her tea. Her heartrate was finally slowing down after their encounter with the would-be robber. He leaned back on the couch and reached for his own tea.

"Why are you so strong?"

Matt coughed suddenly and then put down his mug. "What?"

"You're stronger than you should be."

Matt could hear the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears. Karen was his friend. His good friend. And he was about to lie to her. And if she ever found out the truth, she'd probably never forgive him.

"I work out. I box."

"You box?" She asked, incredulously.

"With a heavy bag." He smiled. "Not with other people."

"You were amazing." She looked at him. "I've never seen anybody move as fast as you did, Matt."

Matt pushed his glasses up a little on his nose. He hadn't realized how much she'd seen. "Oh. I wasn't thinking. I just—"

"Except the devil."

"What?"

"The night I saw The Mask. He moved like that. Like you."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and especially for those of you reviewing! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your comments. I love the feedback! Anyway, on with the show…**_

"What the hell did you tell her, Foggy?"

Foggy slowly unwound his scarf and hung it up on the coatrack by the door. "Well, good morning to you, too."

"I'm not kidding."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Foggy said as he made his way over to the coffee machine.

Matt followed him. "Karen. Did you tell her?"

"I'm assuming you mean about your clandestine nighttime activities."

Matt let out a long, slow breath, striving for patience. "Yes."

"No. I didn't tell her, Matt. I can't believe you'd even have to ask that." Foggy answered curtly and then strode across the reception area and into his office. He sat down at his desk and then popped up again and walked back to the doorway. "Although, I have to ask, why did you think that?"

Matt could hear the sudden concern in Foggy's voice and it twisted something inside of him that Foggy cared so deeply for Karen's safety.

"She asked me something last night."

"What?"

"She wanted to know if…I knew him. The Mask."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah."

"What did you tell her?"

"I evaded the question with a bunch of bullshit. I don't think she believed a word of it, but she didn't question it."

"Why would she think that?" Foggy asked, stunned.

"We were walking home from Molloy's and someone tried to steal her purse."

"And you went all 'caped crusader'?"

Matt stared in Foggy's direction, hands on hips. "Actually, she handled him pretty well."

"She's been taking self-defense classes."

"What?"

"She said she was tired of feeling afraid."

"Jesus." Matt said as he sat on the corner of Foggy's desk.

"So, she kicked the burglar's ass…what does that have to do with you?"

"I…helped."

"You helped."

"I wasn't thinking! She was going toe-to-toe with him and I just…acted."

"Acted? Like Daredevil?"

"A little. I guess."

"What? Did you ninja flip over him or something?"

"No, nothing like that. I just grabbed him by the throat." Matt swallowed, remembering the feeling of the man's blood supply being cut off as he squeezed harder and harder until Karen had pulled at his arm.

Foggy sat down in his desk chair and swiveled back and forth. "Maybe you should tell her."

"No." Matt responded immediately.

"Matt—"

"It's bad enough that you know, Fog. Look what's happened since."

"Yeah. Sometimes…a lot of times, I wish I never found out."

Matt stood up and walked to the window in Foggy's office, feeling the slight heat of the winter's sun. "I'm sorry."

Foggy could practically feel the weight of the man's guilt from across the room. "Don't be. It's not your fault."

Matt turned, surprised. "I thought you hated what I do."

"I do. But not for the reasons you think."

"Oh really?"

Foggy shrugged, not sure exactly how to put his feelings into words. "It's a lot for you to carry."

Matt was momentarily overwhelmed by his friend's sympathy. He'd never expected that. "What do I do about Karen, Fog? She can't find out. It'll put her in danger. There are people out there looking for me, and if they think she has information—"

"I know, I know." Foggy interrupted. "You're gonna have to throw her off your trail."

"How?"

"I don't know? Maybe be more blind?"

Matt smiled for the first time in a long time. "Be more blind?"

"I don't know!" Foggy threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "I don't know why you ever kept up the act in the first place! I mean, I get it at first, but then why—"

Now it was Matt's turn to interrupt. "The act?"

"I mean, I get it—you can't see with your eyes, but other than that, you're better than any sighted person, Matt!" Foggy could feel his temper rising.

Matt slowly reached up and removed his glasses. "How do I explain this, then?"

"Shit." Foggy said as he sank back down into his chair.

Matt put his glasses back on. "There's no place for me. I'm not blind, exactly. But I'm definitely not sighted, Fog. It has to be this way."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. I wish you didn't have to deal with this." Matt said as he started to walk back towards his own office.

"Do you really?"

"Hmm?" Matt turned.

"Do you really wish you'd never told me?"

Matt didn't know what to say or how to answer. The truth was that it was a hell of a lot simpler when Foggy didn't know. But he couldn't deny the relief that he felt that his best friend finally knew who he really was. "I don't know."

Foggy flinched a little at Matt's response, but he understood. Or, at least understood as much as he possibly could. Matt's life was like something out of a superhero movie. A secret identity, powerful gifts, and running around at night in his black pajamas. Foggy shook his head as he turned his attention to the sounds of heels clicking in the hallway outside.

"You'd better figure out how to derail her."

"Yeah. I will." Matt said as he turned away from Foggy and toward the opening door.

"Morning." Matt said as he listening to Karen enter and begin removing her coat and hat.

"Hi." She said, shivering. "It's freezing out there."

Matt smiled. "Coffee?"

"Um, sure. Thanks." She answered, surprised. She followed him to the small kitchenette area and waited while he poured her a mug.

"I'm sorry our night turned out like that." He said as he held out the mug to her.

"It's not your fault." She took the mug. "I mean, I'm just glad you were there to help me—"

"You were doing a pretty good job on your own."

"Thanks."

"Foggy said you've been taking self-defense classes."

Karen could feel her heartrate speed up. "Yeah, well…I thought it was a good idea."

"It is. I've taken a few, myself."

"You have?"

Matt smiled. "Yeah, I mean, I don't like to admit it, but a blind man, at night in the city…I don't want to be an easy target."

Karen studied him carefully. He looked slightly awkward or embarrassed, but something inside her told her it wasn't the truth. For whatever reason, this was an act.

"You seem like you can handle yourself."

"I can defend myself Karen, but it doesn't mean I go looking for trouble."

Karen felt suddenly exposed by his words. Did Matt know? She hadn't told anyone about James Wesley. Not a soul, but she still had the feeling that people that knew what she'd done were watching her always. She didn't want to live like that, but she'd not yet formulated a plan regarding what to do about it.

"Sometimes trouble finds you—whether you want it to or not."

Matt didn't answer her. He figured their conversation had run its course for the moment. He'd hoped to derail her thinking that he was acquainted with—or God forbid—was the Daredevil, but instead he'd only become more confused and more worried about Karen.

Maybe he should try Foggy's idea and be more blind. He could always walk into the doorjamb or knock over a lamp.

xXx

The next week brought only more of the same for Matt. He and Karen kept dancing around each other with cryptic comments and unanswered questions. He'd tried again to see if Foggy knew anything, but apparently Karen was equally tightlipped with him. The only thing Foggy knew was that she'd been taking a lot of self-defense classes lately.

Matt waited until midnight and then changed into his 'black pjs', as Foggy had dubbed them. Tonight wasn't about fighting, so he'd opted to leave the custom suit at home. Tonight was about recon.

He easily scaled the fire escape outside of Karen's building and landed with quiet feet on the landing outside her window. He crouched down and listened. Surprisingly, he didn't detect any signs of life inside the apartment. He eased open the unlocked window, mentally noting to casually remind her to lock her windows.

He stopped just inside the living room, listening. He could hear the TV blaring The Tonight Show in the apartment next door but nothing was coming from Karen's apartment. He stepped out from the shadows and walked around.

It smelled like her in here. Vanilla and coconut. He could feel the beat of his own heart increase as he moved through her private space. He felt guilty and remorseful as he did so, but it didn't stop him. His need to understand what had changed between them overrode his feelings.

He entered her bedroom and found a neatly made bed and a scattering of clothes thrown atop of it. Matt picked up a blouse that felt like silk and then another similar one. There were various shoes littering the floor by the mirror; one high heel, one boot.

Near her bed, he could smell ink. A quick scan of her nightstand revealed a small notebook tossed in with a variety of costume jewelry.

Matt opened the notebook and peeled off his glove, letting his fingers scan the letters. It was difficult, but not impossible to read print this way. Fortunately, Karen tended to press hard into the pulp of the paper. Unfortunately, she tended to use exaggerated, loopy handwriting.

Still, he was able to pick out a few words: Wesley, Gao, Yakuza, Potter, and Mahoney.

Matt felt his blood run cold. What on earth was Karen doing?


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I'm trying to keep up the pace of posting a chapter per day. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this soon. As always, thanks so much for reading! And for Sarah, my wonderful reviewer, THANK YOU!**_

 _ **Enjoy…**_

"Foggy?"

Foggy looked up from his laptop. "Yeah?"

Karen fidgeted nervously in his doorway. "I want to ask you something."

"Okay." He asked as he closed the lid of his computer and gave her his full attention.

"Do you and Matt know him—The Mask?"

"What?"

"I remembered you guys saying you talked to him…and I was wondering if you knew how to get in touch with him."

Foggy felt the weight of the secret and the lie he was about to tell settle heavily on his heart. "I don't exactly have his cell number. We just ran into him."

"Oh."

"Can I ask why in the hell you're trying to track down a vigilante?"

"I just needed to ask him…about Fisk."

"Fisk? Don't worry, that bastard is exactly where he belongs."

"I know…I just—"Karen waved her hand and turned to go back to her desk. "It doesn't matter."

Foggy came around his desk and walked to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just sort of processing everything that's happened."

"And you think that guy has what you need?"

"No. I don't know." Karen shrugged. "I haven't seen him since that night in my apartment."

Foggy felt a cold finger of dread along his spine. "Karen, have you been looking for him?" He watched the blush creep up her pale skin.

"Not really."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous he is?"

"You and Matt said he was on our side!"

"He is, but Karen, he's…he's—"

"He's what?"

Karen and Foggy both turned to face Matt as he entered the office. Foggy watched as he friend and business partner crossed the room, pretending he hadn't heard every word of their conversation. Foggy felt momentarily guilty for talking about his alter ego in those terms, but then he reminded himself that Matt actually _was_ dangerous when he wanted to be.

"Nothing." Karen answered quickly.

Foggy watched Matt raise an eyebrow, but he said nothing. They each retreated to the safety of their desks and proceeded to work on the mundane tasks of the day. Foggy felt his concentration waning and when his stomach growled for lunch, he'd had about as much as he could take.

"I'm heading out for lunch." He announced as he left his office and grabbed his coat.

"I'll walk out with you. I'm headed out, myself." Matt said as he joined him by the doorway.

xXx

Matt waited until they were outside in the cold air before speaking. "Foggy, what the hell is going on?"

Foggy exhaled in frustration. "I'm sure you heard. She's looking for you."

"But why?"

"I have no idea! She wants to talk to you for some reason—she thinks you can give her answers or something."

"So at least that means she has no idea that it's me…I mean, that I'm—"

"Yeah." Foggy interrupted him. "I'd say you're secret's safe for now. But obviously she'll figure it out if you meet with her in the mask. You can't disguise yourself that well. She knows you now."

"You'd be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's so inconceivable to people that I'd be…him that I could basically forgo the mask and people still wouldn't believe it."

"Well, can you blame them? You're blind…or you know, sort of…or whatever."

"Yeah."

"So? What are we gonna do? We can't let her wander the streets every night hoping to spot him."

"I know." Matt said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should let her find me—and see what she wants."

"Matt," Foggy warned. "If she gets too close, she'll know. Are you really willing to risk it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Foggy didn't answer. God, he hated this. He loved Matt like a brother but he hated being put in this position and it was entirely, one hundred percent Matt's fault.

xXx

Karen put on her black hat, careful to tuck all of her bright hair inside. She tried not to be scared. After all, she'd been taking accelerated classes with Alex and now could hold her own in most scuffles. Still, her hands trembled as she zipped up the black nylon jacket.

She stuck to the shadows as she checked out the building currently housing Wilson Fisk's offices. Just because the man was in prison didn't mean his empire stopped rolling, even despite all the legal battles they were facing. Karen had a feeling that Fisk's team would find a way to keep the river of dirty money flowing.

As much as that thought bothered her, it wasn't why she was here now. Her mission tonight was to find out if anyone else, besides James Wesley, knew her name. She felt tainted by the association and wanted to make sure that Wesley was the end of the road.

The building looked like a fortress. It was all glass and steel. Even now, at one o'clock in the morning, a security guard manned a desk and another patrolled the inner lobby.

"There are cameras around the perimeter."

Karen jumped and sucked in a hard breath to avoid screaming.

"You are about two feet away from being caught on TV."

She could feel her heart beating erratically. There he was, in the flesh. The Devil. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He said as he gestured for her to follow him deeper into the shadows.

Karen watched him move away from the building and into the alley. His footsteps were nearly silent. Finally, when he deemed them to be safely away from prying closed-circuit monitoring, he stopped.

"We're you planning on breaking in?"

Karen thought about denying it, but something about the man in black before her compelled her to tell the truth. "Yes."

"You'll get caught. You'll end up in jail."

"Maybe that's where I belong."

Matt was stunned by her confession. He fought the overwhelming instinct to reach out to her. "No, you don't."

"You don't know—"

"I know you're a good person. You don't belong behind bars."

"Who makes the rules? About who's good and who's not?"

Matt often wondered the same thing. Was it God? The devil? Lately, he'd trusted in his own judgement about such matters. He didn't know how to answer her, so he changed the subject.

"What do you want from in there?" He gestured to the building behind them.

"Information. I need to get inside."

Matt was puzzled. What could Karen want from Fisk's offices? "Why?"

"I…I just need to check…"

Matt could feel her reluctance to share the details. He wanted to respect her need for privacy but he couldn't' risk her getting caught. "Can I help?"

Karen looked up suddenly. She was surprised that he'd make such an offer, but wasn't that the entire reason she'd tried so hard to find him? Now that he'd offered what she'd hoped he would, she wasn't sure she could accept it.

"I don't know. It's risky."

Matt allowed himself a small smile. "I know."

"I need to see if anyone associated with James Wesley knows me—knows who I am."

"Why?"

Karen swallowed hard. She wanted to tell him. The need to unburden her soul was overwhelming, but she resisted. "I'm afraid it could lead back to my friends."

Matt could feel his own heart beating hard. "How could it hurt them?"

"I have….information and if anyone else in his organization knows who I am, I'm afraid they'll go after me or the people I work for."

"What'll you do if that turns out to be the case?"

"I'll leave." She answered immediately. "I don't want anyone getting hurt. At least not anyone else." She finished softly.

"You should go home. Leave this to me."

"Why? Why would you do this for me?"

Matt half turned, not sure exactly what to say. "I don't want Fisk's mess to land on anyone else. Especially someone innocent."

"I'm not—"

Matt held up a hand to stop her. He wanted to know her secret; in fact he felt a seed of fear in his stomach about what exactly that secret might be, but still he held her off. "It's not important. Not tonight."

Karen looked up suddenly and into the shadowed man's face. His words reminded her of something Matt had said so long ago when she'd asked him if believing in God helped. He'd said, "Not today." Again, this feeling of familiarity niggled.

"Do you know my bosses? They're lawyers…Nelson and Murdock?"

Matt exhaled and closed his eyes. "I do."

"They're good people. I don't want anything to happen to them. Especially Matt…he's blind…and I doubt he'd appreciate me pointing this out, but he's more vulnerable, even if he doesn't think so—"

Matt interrupted her ramblings. He was both slightly relieved that she still had no idea he was The Mask and slightly annoyed that she thought him so helpless as to need extra protection.

"Go home. I'll be in touch."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he slid past her in the darkness and all but disappeared. She thought she could see his faint outline briefly, but then there was nothing.

xXx

Matt didn't attempt to gain entry into Fisk's offices that night. No, if he were planning a break-in on that scale, he'd need a lot more prep. Instead, he decided to follow Karen home. At least he'd be able to tell if anyone else was doing the same.

He kept to the rooftops and shadowed her movements on the street. He had to hand it to her; she did a good job of staying safe. She kept her head down, but her eyes sharp and moved quickly and confidently down the nearly vacant streets.

At one moment, he saw a few men on a street corner pause and give her a long second glance, but for whatever reason, they left her alone.

As she neared her building, he dropped down to ground level but still maintained a safe distance. He was just about to turn away when he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He quickly scanned the area and found several heartbeats. One belonged to a homeless man, snoozing on a church stoop a few doors down. Two others belonged to inebriated men stumbling out of a bar, laughing. But the fourth was different. Steady. Healthy. Strong. And it wasn't moving.

Matt pinpointed the heartbeat to a location about a half block down from where he was currently standing in the shadows. The man was tucked into a hidden alcove. Matt concentrated and listened to the man's steady breathing as well as what sounded like fingers clicking on a phone keyboard.

He waited it out for what seemed like an eternity until the man finally left his hidden spot and travelled away from Karen's building.

Maybe Karen was right to be worried after all.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I wanted to get this posted today to keep up the pace, but I have to admit, this chapter gave me some serious grief. I hope it satisfies. I'm working towards an eventual conclusion (it might be obvious at this point!). Anyway, a HUGE thank you for the reviews. I LOVE them!**_

 _ **Enjoy…**_

Karen raised her hand to knock on Matt's door. She really needed to stop showing up uninvited without even the courtesy of a phone call first, but the truth was she was afraid he'd say no. Still, her hand shook a little as she lifted it. She listened to the sounds coming from inside his apartment. She could hear even footsteps approaching the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me. Karen."

She heard the bolt sliding out of the lock immediately. She looked up when he opened the door. Matt still wore his shirt and pants from work, but had removed the jacket and tie. And the glasses. She'd wondered if he always took them off at home. She remembered when she'd come to him after he'd been so badly injured and he hadn't had them on, but had put them on soon after her arrival.

"Hi."

She shook herself a little to clear her mind. "Hi. I'm sorry to just show up like this—"

"Is everything alright? Come in." He said and stepped aside to allow her to pass through the doorway. She walked forward and caught the scent of him. Matt didn't use cologne, but he always smelled good to her; clean and sharp.

"Wanna sit?" He gestured to the living room.

"Sure." She sat down on the couch and watched as Matt came around and leaned on the arm of the chair across from her.

Matt sat silently and waited. It was clear to him that Karen was there to talk. He could hear her take a breath as if to speak, and then let it out again when she changed her mind.

"I'm really sorry to show up like this," she said finally. She could hear the tremor in her own voice and it embarrassed her. She cleared her throat and tried to steady it. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Matt said.

"Someone's been following me."

"What?" He asked, stunned. He'd only witnessed the person that was following her last night. He had no idea that it had been a regular occurrence.

"I had a friend follow behind me the other night and he said that someone was definitely following me."

"What did he say?"

"He couldn't tell me much. Just that it was a man in dark clothing. He stayed about a half a block behind me and watched me go into my apartment. Then the guy left."

"And this has happened before?"

Karen could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know, but I think so. I feel like someone's watching me…I mean, besides the Daredevil."

"What?"

"I found him. Or he found me." She laughed a little through her tears. "I think he might be able to help."

"Help? How?"

"Matt…" She started, feeling again the overwhelming desire to tell him what she'd done. She wanted to, and she knew he'd offer the comfort and protection she craved, but her need to keep him safe kept her lips sealed.

"What is it?" He implored.

Karen took a deep breath and decided to give him what honesty she could. "There's something that I can't tell you." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting, and despite the foolishness of such a gesture to a blind man, he seemed to get the message nonetheless.

"I know something and I can't tell you or Foggy. It could put you in danger. But I'm working with The Mask and I think he can help me."

Matt felt irritation again at her willingness to talk to his alter ego, but not to him. "How?"

"I think they think I know something."

"Who? Fisk's people?"

"Yeah."

"And do you? Know something?"

"Yes."

"Karen—"

"Matt, before you say it, I can't go to the police…or the media."

"But—"

"You need to trust me, okay? I can't."

Matt could hear the edge of hysteria in her voice. "Okay." He moved to the couch and put a hand on her arm. "It's okay."

Karen felt steadier with him nearby. She reveled in his touch, despite feeling horribly guilty for dragging him into this mess. She felt her body unconsciously leaning toward him and soon he moved his hand and wrapped it around her back.

"How can he help…The Mask?"

"He can help get information for me. I need to know what they know."

Matt nodded as he continued to stroke her back. He could feel her long hair against the back of his hand and the desire to run his hands through it overwhelmed him. Instead of giving in to that urge, he moved away.

Karen felt the instant Matt pulled away. She knew he didn't like her taking chances like this. Even though he and Foggy had reluctantly agreed that The Mask was working for the good guys didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

"Depending on what he finds out, I may need to leave." Karen said and turned to look at him. His brown eyes, still uncovered by his glasses were fixed somewhere in the distance.

Matt stood up and went to the kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge. He needed to move; to work off some energy. He crossed the room again and handed her one of the bottles. "Here."

"Thanks."

He listened as she placed it down on the table in front of her.

"Just promise me something, Karen."

"I will if I can."

"Don't just disappear, okay? Let's at least try to fix it first."

Karen was touched that he cared so much whether she stayed or went. She hadn't expected to find such a family when she started working at Nelson and Murdock. Somehow, the three of them had become just that, though. And now, the thought of walking away from it broke her heart.

xXx

Matt had to laugh at himself. He'd become the vigilante that he thought the city needed in order to stop crime and stop those that considered themselves above the law. Of course he wasn't averse to bending the law to suit those needs now and then.

That thought comforted him as he dropped through a ceiling panel in the inner sanctum of Fisk's offices in the middle of the night. He tried to remember the end game as he used his extraordinary senses to get into keycoded offices.

This was about the time he was wishing he had some sidekick in a van outside that could talk him through cracking into password protected computers. His skills were usually impressive, but here he was woefully outmatched. He did the best he could and downloaded various files onto thumb drives that he could have his screenreading software read back to him later.

He quietly searched desks, filing cabinets and safes, but to no avail. This wasn't the usual kind of task he undertook as Daredevil and he laughed mentally thinking that he'd probably better suited to the task of investigation as Matt Murdock, blind lawyer extraordinaire.

As he scaled the building to make his exit, he thought that maybe it was time for the two worlds to collide. It certainly would help him deal with Karen. He didn't think it was time to reveal the whole truth, but perhaps a bit of it would help everyone.

xXx

"Hi. I'm here." Karen said as she slid into the seat across from him at the coffee shop down the street from the office.

"Thanks for meeting me."

"Is everything okay?" She asked as she noticed his appearance. He looked tired. And worried. "What's the matter?"

Matt didn't answer right away. He simply opened his hand to reveal a thumb drive. He'd spent most of last night reading through pages and pages of information and culling what he thought useful.

"What's that?"

"A mutual friend of ours gave it to me. He said you might need my help."

"What? Are you talking about…" She dropped her voice to a whisper, "The Mask?"

"I am."

"Jesus, Matt. Why would he do that?" Karen said, feeling exposed and vulnerable. "I didn't want this to involve you or Foggy."

Matt could hear and smell the tears threatening to spill over. "I'm glad he did, Karen." He could hear her shaking her head negatively.

"No. This is the last thing I wanted."

"He knew I could help. And I can."

"How?" She whispered.

The emotion in her voice nearly broke him. "I think I can dig in a way he can't."

"Dig? Through what?"

"Backchannels. I can investigate connections, legal documents…that sort of thing."

"Matt—"

"I won't let anything happen to you, Karen. You have to trust me." He swallowed, knowing full-well that he was asking her to trust him when he could not and would not put that same trust in her.

"I do." She whispered. "I trust you and Foggy more than anything. But after what happened to Ben…" She trailed off.

"Ben didn't deserve what happened, but he was the public face to Fisk's opposition. He put a target on his back."

"No! He was the only one with the courage to call him out!"

Matt raised a hand to settle her. "I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that your role wasn't as public. I don't think you have the same kind of exposure. Not to mention that the man that killed him is currently in prison."

"There are others happy to do his dirty work."

"Why are you so convinced they're coming for you?"

Karen said nothing. She looked into Matt's earnest face. He was so eager to help her. Too eager. That was exactly the kind of foolish passion that got her into trouble in the first place.

Matt knew she wouldn't speak. There was no intake of breath or rapid heartbeat. Whatever secret she held, she had no intention of revealing it to him.

"How was last night? Did anyone follow you?"

"Not that I could tell, but I stayed home. I practically jump out of my skin every time my neighbor slams his door."

"Maybe you should consider relocating."

"I can't afford to." She said, tiredly. "I'm locked into my lease and my landlord isn't exactly the accommodating type."

Matt sat back in his chair. He'd shadowed her for the past few nights and knew no one had followed her. It almost unsettled him more.

"So how exactly did you end up meeting with the Daredevil? You never said."

"He approached me."

Karen smiled. "I asked Foggy if you two knew him. It seems like you do."

"We're all working for the same cause."

"You're awfully cryptic, you know that? That's something you and The Mask have in common."

Matt smiled. "Take the drive home. Read through it. See what you can make of it. I gave it a read-through but didn't see anything suspicious."

"Okay." She exhaled slowly. "What now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like I should be doing more. You and The Mask are doing all the work."

Matt began to rise and let his cane unfold. "Just be careful, Karen. Please."

He felt her hand lift his and tuck in into her elbow. "I remember you saying those exactly words to me not too long ago."

Matt closed his eyes as the memory swam before him.

"I should've listened then," she said softly.

"This isn't your fault."

Karen opened her mouth to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she concentrated on weaving them through the crowded coffee shop and outside. How could she tell him that it was all her fault?


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing. -Winter**_

Matt knew there wasn't much on the flash drive he'd given Karen, but at least it would give her something to concentrate on. He felt a little guilty for the diversion, but it was all in the name of keeping her safe. He was beginning to feel a little hopeless, himself. He hadn't seen the man that had followed her again. His hope to tail him back to wherever he'd come from and interrogate him.

He woke early and went into the office, surprised to find Foggy already there and working.

"Hey." He said as he entered the office.

"Hey."

Matt frowned at Foggy's distracted and irritated tone. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just working on the Morris case."

"I don't think there's much of case, Foggy. He can't prove that the idea was his alone before his ex-partner filed for the patent."

"I hate cases like this."

Matt shrugged and sat on the low table against the wall. "Unfortunately the law's not on his side. Not this time."

"I thought you were all about fighting for the little guy."

"I am, but he should've filed for the patent first. Or at least not disclosed his idea until he filed."

"Not everyone went to law school."

"That's a broad justification and ignorance isn't a defense."

Foggy threw his pencil down and stretched his hands over his head. "I know. It's sucks though."

"That it does." Matt rose and walked towards his own office.

"Hey Matt, before Karen gets here, I wanted to ask you something."

Matt stopped and turned. "Has she talked to you…about what's going on with her?"

"A little. I think there's a lot she's holding back."

"I'm worried about her."

"Me too."

"Is there anything we can do? Or…anything you can do…as, you know—"

"I'm looking into it. I promise."

"Do you really think someone is after her?"

"I think someone wants something from her. I'm just not sure what."

xXx

"Alex!" Karen smiled as she saw him standing in line at Starbuck's.

"Hey!" He placed his order and then slid into the seat across from her. "Fancy meeting you here."

She smiled. "I was feeling a little sluggish this morning, so I thought I'd treat myself to a double expresso."

"Wow. Going right for the hard stuff, huh?"

"What can I say? I'm an addict."

Just then, Alex's name was called and he retrieved his Green Tea Latte. Karen raised an eyebrow as he returned to his seat.

"What?"

"Is there even caffeine in that thing? I mean, what's the point?"

"It's very refreshing." He laughed. "Besides, if I drank yours, you'd have to peel me off the walls."

"It's an acquired taste."

They both sat in companionable silence for a few moments sipping their beverages and watching the morning crowd shuffle though the busy shop.

"So, I've never seen you dressed for work. You look great."

Karen looked down at her outfit. She'd opted for a black V-neck sweater dress and boots. "Thanks."

"You work for those lawyers, right? The ones that took down Fisk?"

Karen felt her spine stiffen immediately. "It was a combined effort of a lot of people."

"Oh, I know. I just remember reading about them in the paper. One of them is blind, right? How does that work?"

"How does what work?"

"Nothing, I just can't imagine how hard that must be."

"He manages just fine."

"What's the story? How'd it happen?"

"That's kind of a personal question, I think." Karen attempted to dodge without being outright rude, but she had a sudden dislike of this line of questioning.

"I guess." Alex took a long sip of his drink. "I was just curious."

Karen remembered asking Matt that very same question after only knowing him for a few hours. She felt suddenly ashamed of her own morbid curiosity. Matt had been totally honest and forthcoming with her, though. She thought about his confessing to missing the blue of the sky.

"Are you coming tonight?"

"What?" Karen snapped back to the present and looked at Alex. "Oh, sorry. Um, yes. I'll be there."

"Good. I've missed you this past week."

"I've missed it too. I've been busy, though."

"Those lawyers working you too hard?"

She tried to smile, but a feeling was beginning to grow in the pit of her stomach. "Something like that."

"Well, how about I walk you to work. I'm not in any rush."

"I'm not heading in yet. I have a few things to do first." Karen answered vaguely and kept her eyes fixed on his. She could see him deciding on his next play.

"Okay." He stood and gathered his drink. "See you tonight."

Karen tried to smile, "See you then."

She waited until he left and then quickly grabbed her cell and called Matt.

" _Hey Karen, what's up?"_

"Matt—is there a way to get in touch with," She dropped her voice to a whisper, "the mask?"

" _Why? What's happening?"_

"I think…I have a feeling."

" _A feeling?"_

"It's a gut thing. I need him to look into someone."

" _I'll try to reach him."_

"Okay, thanks."

" _Karen, are you in danger now?"_

"I don't think so."

" _Where are you?"_

"At the Starbuck's a few blocks away."

" _Stay there. I'll come get you."_

"Wait! Matt, that's not—"

She pulled her phone away from her ear as she heard him disconnect the call.

xXx

Karen stood up and moved to the door as soon as she saw Matt through the glass.

"Hey." She said and smoothly bumped his hand with hers so that he could grasp her elbow. "You really didn't have to come down here."

Matt didn't answer, but let her lead them away from the building. After they'd walked for a bit, he finally spoke. "What happened?"

"Nothing. You really didn't need to come down here." She repeated.

"Something must've happened."

"It did. Or at least, it might. I don't know."

Matt could feel her pulse racing even through the thick fabric of her coat. "Karen—"

"I can handle this, Matt. I'm sorry I called and bothered you."

Matt could feel his patience growing thin. "It's not a problem. I said I'll keep you safe and I meant it—"

She interrupted again, "I don't want that!" She pulled them faster down the street.

"What? You don't want to be safe?" He asked, confused.

"No. I don't want you to do it. Matt, you have to be smart here. Or at least smarter than me. You're putting yourself in danger."

Matt pulled them to stop and then over to the shelter of an alcove. "I told you once before Karen. I can take care of myself."

Karen looked at him closely. She certainly believed that _he_ believed his words. He was in amazing shape, too. She thought back to the way he'd handled that would-be robber. But could Matt really go up against someone from Fisk's organization? Well, she'd suspected he already had once and he'd come out beaten to a bloody pulp. No. She wouldn't risk his safety again.

"And so can I. I don't want you dragged into this." She said, emphatically.

"Are you saying this because I'm blind?" Matt blurted out the thing that he'd feared was true.

"Matt..." Karen said and laid her hand on his arm.

He could hear and feel her sympathy and it galled him. "And if I wasn't? Would you still be trying to keep me safe? To keep me away from you?"

"What's the point in asking that?" She felt her tears break free from her lashes and track down her cheeks. She wiped them away roughly with the back of her gloved hand. "Why can't you deal with the fact that you're in danger and I want to keep you out of it?"

"Because maybe I'm not as helpless as you think I am." He said.

Karen hated the emotionless tone he'd taken with her. She'd hurt him and that had never been her intention. But even on a good day, Matt still managed to show up to work with various cuts and bruises. Why couldn't he accept that he was out of his element on this?

"I don't want to do this, Matt."

"Karen—"

"I have to go. I have something I need to do."

He could feel her pulling away from him. "Wait—"

"I'll be in tomorrow."

He stayed where he was and listened as her heartbeat moved further and further away. Shit, he thought. The more he'd tried to help, the more she'd pulled away. She didn't want his help. Or at least, she didn't want Matt Murdock's help.

Matt pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Foggy.

" _Hey, it's me. I'm gonna be out of the office for a while."_

xXx

It was late, but Matt suspected she'd still be up. He dropped down from her rooftop onto the fire escape with quiet feet; his gloved hands sliding along the rails.

He could tell immediately that Karen was still awake. She was flitting about in her kitchen. He could hear the kettle reaching its boiling point and smell the teabag she'd placed in the teapot. He waited until she snapped off the burner to tap lightly on the glass.

As he'd expected, her pulse jumped and her breath hitched. It steadied quickly though as she must've recognized his costume as she neared the window. Once again, he'd opted to leave the high-tech outfit at home and don his more familiar black 'pjs.'

"Hi." She asked, still a little overwhelmed.

"Hi." He responded. "May I?" He gestured to the window.

"Oh, sure. Yeah."

She stepped back and watched as he deftly maneuvered through the small window and into her living room.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I think it's time we were properly introduced, Karen."

"Wha—" She watched in utter disbelief as he pulled off the black mask. "Matt?"


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: We're in the home stretch now! Thanks so much for coming along on this ride with me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the reviews! Enjoy…**_

"What the hell?" Karen said as she stumbled backwards.

Matt came around instantly to support her, but she pulled away from him. "What are you doing?"

Matt stood still, waiting for her brain to catch up to what her eyes were seeing. If Foggy's reaction was anything to go by, this was going to be hard.

"Matt?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Karen moved to the couch and sat heavily. "This isn't real."

Matt moved slowly toward her and sat on the coffee table across from her, careful not to startle her.

"You're him?"

Matt hated the sound of her voice. Betrayal, disappointment and bewilderment were all present in her fragile voice.

"Yeah."

Matt braced himself for the onslaught of questions, but was met with only silence. He'd prepared himself for her to yell at him, to curse his name or to hate him. But he should've known better. When Karen finally spoke, it was something he'd never expected.

"I think I already knew."

Now it was Matt who was stunned speechless.

Karen took a shaky breath, keeping her eyes fixed to his. "I feel like everything that I already knew about you, but never quite understood is finally making sense."

Matt smiled a little. "I know I have no right to say this, but it's a relief for me. I hated lying to you."

"I'm assuming Foggy knows?"

Matt closed his eyes. The memory of those first days after Foggy learned his secret were still too painful to pull back to the front of his mind. "Yeah."

"I guess it all makes sense. How he…I mean you… knew I was in trouble the night I went back to my apartment looking for the file."

"I followed you."

"How can you do all that stuff?"

"I had a teacher. He showed me how."

"Wow." She leaned back on the couch cushions.

"I know you have a lot of questions, and I'll answer them if I can."

"You're blind, though. I know that much."

"I am, but I have other…gifts."

"How?"

"It was the accident."

"It wasn't a car accident, was it?"

"No." He answered. He assumed she'd press him for more details, but thankfully she didn't.

Matt sensed her movements as she lifted a hand and pushed his hair back from his forehead. Of all the things he'd expected from her tonight, none of them had been kindness.

"You must be so tired."

Matt could feel his own breath hitch and any response he could've thought to make was now firmly lodged behind the emotion clogging his throat.

"I'm sorry." She said.

He didn't know why she was apologizing. He'd expected to be the one doing the apologizing.

"No, Karen. You don't need to be. I'm the one that—"

"I should've guessed."

"How?" He asked, bewildered.

"You always showed up when I needed you. Whether as you…or as Matt."

"I am Matt."

"Yeah. That's a hard one to wrap my brain around."

Matt smiled. "It'll be a little easier now, I hope."

"I don't know." She said; her voice still a little shaky. "I'll need some time."

Matt understood, but it still hurt. He reminded himself that this was the result of his choices; no one else's. No one forced him to run around Hell's Kitchen taking the law into his own hands, yet if not him, then who?

"I feel embarrassed." Karen said as she put her hands on her cheeks.

"Why?"

"I'm remembering now all the times I talked to you and Foggy about him…about Daredevil. God, I feel like an idiot."

"Don't worry about it. You always had nice things to say." He smiled.

Karen was silent for a moment; staring. Matt was aware of it, but kept silent and waited.

"How do you do it?" She asked, still mystified, as she raised a hand to wave in front of his face. He caught her by the wrist and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, now that look is so very 'Matt.'"

"If I can stop a mugger in his tracks, don't you think I know when you're waving a hand in front of my face?"

Karen laughed. "I don't know! This is all so bizarre."

Matt sobered. "Bizarre is definitely a good word for it."

"Did you always have these gifts?"

Matt closed his eyes and let the memories of waking up in the hospital wash over him. "Yeah, but at first it was more of a curse. Sensory overload. I thought I was losing my mind."

"That must've been terrifying."

Matt swallowed hard. He didn't want to feel the fear again of those early dark days. "I made it though."

Karen remembered Matt using those exact words when he told her how he'd lost his sight back when they first met. It was a cover, she thought. Well, everyone had a right to experience their pain at their own pace. And if Matt never wanted to talk about it again, that was his right, too.

A silence fell over both of them as they were locked in memories of the past. It was several moments before they came back to the present.

"How have things been tonight? Has anyone followed you?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to…you about." She caught herself from saying 'the mask.' This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"What happened?"

"I have a friend that I made in class."

"The self-defense class?"

"Yeah. Anyway, he's nice, and it might just be my imagination going into overdrive with everything that's happened lately—"

Matt interrupted. "Tell me, Karen."

"I was with him today at Starbuck's…and he started asking a lot of questions."

"What kinds of questions?"

"About you, actually."

"Me? What about me?"

"He wanted to know…" Karen felt suddenly tongue-tied. "How you are able to work considering you're…you know…"

"Blind?"

"I suppose that's what everybody wants to know." Matt said, parroting her words back to her from the first night they'd met.

"Yeah." She exhaled, slowly. "About that…I'm really sorry I asked that. It was rude—"

"It's okay. Actually, it was kind of refreshing."

"Really?"

Matt chuckled. "Most people dance around the subject. You just came right out and asked. Actually, you and Foggy have that in common."

"We do?"

"Maybe that's why we get along so well."

"Did he always know? Foggy, I mean?"

Matt sobered once again. "No. I kept it from him for a long time. Too long."

Karen sucked in a hard breath. "The fight—when you two weren't speaking, right before Ben…"

Matt cringed. "Yeah."

"I take it, it didn't go well."

"No."

Karen could tell by the stiff set of his jaw that it was best to let that subject die, for now.

"So, back to your friend at Starbuck's…" Matt gestured for her to continue.

"Yeah, right. Anyway, he was asking questions about you, and then about Foggy and just a lot. It gave me a bad feeling."

"I've learned to trust those."

"He wanted to walk me to the office. I made up an excuse and then called you."

"What's his name? I'll look into him."

"Alex. Alex Bennett. He's an instructor at the gym where I've been taking self-defense classes."

"Okay." Matt stood to leave.

"You're going?"

He smiled as he slipped the black mask on again. "Yeah. I'll be in touch."

"Wait!"

Matt turned away from the window and faced her.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you told me."

He smiled. "Me too."

"Were you nervous? To tell me?"

Matt walked back toward her and pulled his mask up to his forehead. He put his hands on her arms and then trailed them down until he held her hands in his. "I was afraid I'd lose you."

Karen couldn't seem to break eye contact with him, even knowing that he wasn't really _seeing_ her. Still, his brown eyes compelled her. "You were?"

"Yeah."

She felt his right hand release her left one and then travel to the back of her neck. He pulled her towards him. She could smell the scent of him again and realized that The Mask and Matt Murdock both smelled the same; clean and crisp. She closed her eyes as his lips neared hers.

The kiss was an exact representation of him; gentle, sweet, but with a hint of danger.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I'm so sorry for abandoning the story (especially after promising daily updates!). It's been a whirlwind of events here in my neck o' the woods. Anyway, I'm back. As always, I thank you most sincerely for the reviews. They are such a wonderful boost!**_

 _ **Enjoy…**_

Now that the proverbial masked cat was out of the bag, life at Nelson and Murdock took on an unusually pedestrian tone. Karen had expected to feel weird or different around Matt, but he'd carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She noticed that even though they were all hip to the secret, they rarely spoke of it during office hours.

Business as usual was the mantra for the most part, except that each of them now worked to solve the mystery of Alex Bennett. A preliminary search turned up three hundred and twenty one men named 'Alexander Bennett' living in New York State. About two thirds of them had driver's licenses or other forms of photo identification on file and Karen searched them all to no avail. Matt was digging into the remaining one third, but so far, no one was matching the age range or description that Karen had given.

Foggy was 'at bat' next and had placed a call to a friend that now worked at the FBI. He was hopeful that this friend would be able to use the FBI's facial recognition software to help identify the mystery man, but first they would need a photo of the man himself to compare it to. Karen was sure that she'd be able to get the shot they needed.

"Absolutely not, Karen." Matt said from his office doorway.

"I'll meet him in public. It'll be fine." She said, hearing the fatigue in her own voice. She appreciated Matt's protective streak, but she was more than capable of handling this meet-up.

Matt could feel pain in his jaw and slowly unclenched his teeth. He didn't like sending her out there to the unknown, but she was right; there was no other way. He and Foggy had tried to hack into the computer system at the gym where Alex Bennett was an instructor, but they couldn't get around the firewalls without raising flags.

"Let Foggy shadow you, at least."

"He knows what you and Foggy look like. I don't want him to get suspicious."

Matt said nothing, knowing she was right. He could hear her gathering her things and putting on her coat.

"Karen, just—"

"Be careful. I know." She said and walked over to him, giving his arm a light squeeze.

xXx

Karen entered the bar, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dark atmosphere. She'd have preferred to meet at a coffee shop or diner, but didn't want to raise red flags when Alex suggested they meet for drinks after work.

Karen stepped forward and spotted Alex sitting at the end of the bar. She walked towards him and saw that he already had a beer in front of him.

"Hey there." He stood up when she approached and gestured to the empty seat.

"Hi." Karen said as she slid into the seat.

Alex waved to get the bartender's attention. "What would you like?"

"Oh, um wine? Cabernet is fine." She said to the bartender.

"I'm glad you called."

"You are?" Karen said as she gratefully took a sip of the wine when it was placed in front of her.

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know a lot of people in the city yet, and I kinda thought we hit it off."

Karen watched as he ducked his head, in a show of embarrassment, but there was an undercurrent of something false.

"Me too."

"You? I bet you're the kind of girl men gravitate towards."

Karen couldn't help the delicate snort. "Hardly."

"After last time we met, I kinda got the feeling you had something going with one of your bosses."

"What? No."

"You just got a little protective when I was asking about them, that's all."

"No, it's not like that—"Karen could feel her cheeks blush as she thought of Matt's lips on hers. She needed to keep her head in the game. "They're good guys. That's all."

"See? That's what I mean. You definitely have a protective vibe." He smiled.

Karen was trying to keep things on an even keel, but she felt her temper slip. "It's funny how we always seem to end up talking about Matt and Foggy."

She watched as Alex shrugged and tried to redirect her. "I'm just glad you like your job."

"I do." She smiled. "And you like yours?"

He laughed a little. "I guess. I mean, I like teaching at the gym and training, but it's not my life's dream or anything."

"What is your dream?"

He shrugged and Karen watched the dark clouds float across his mind. Wherever his thoughts had gone was not a good place. "I came to the city to work for my brother."

Karen felt her stomach tighten. "But it didn't work out?"

Alex laughed bitterly as he swallowed the last of his beer. "You could say that. He was murdered."

"Oh my god."

"He was the second in command to a powerful man. A man with a lot of enemies, it seems." Alex turned and looked directly at her. Karen fought down the urge to sprint for the door. "What happened?"

"He was shot to death by the devil."

xXx

Alex walked her home. She couldn't seem to find a way to get out of it, despite her attempted assurances that she'd be fine. He simply couldn't allow her to walk home at night when he was available to see her safely to her door.

It was only as they rounded the last corner did she remember that she was supposed to snap a photo of him with her phone. Her hand moved to her pocket, but what was the point? She had the answer that they'd been seeking; Alex was the brother of James Wesley.

He spoke now of long ago memories and how he and James had planned to make it big in New York City. James, being older, had struck out on his own first. He'd worked his way up a few different corporate ladders and had come to the attention of none other than Wilson Fisk; the biggest fish in the pond.

Alex had, at first, been disappointed that James had seemingly abandoned their plan of working together, but then after listening to him talk about Fisk and his dream for Hell's Kitchen, he'd understood. Fisk had what the Wesley brothers did not; means and the muscle to back his play.

Wesley had assured Alex that there'd be a place for him when he was ready to join the Fisk organization.

And then he'd been murdered by a coward in a mask.

Karen knew Matt was near. She could feel his presence and knew he was listening to every word. She felt like a mouse, trapped in a corner. She could never reveal to Alex that she was the one that emptied a gun into his brother, but she couldn't let Matt take the blame for something she did.

They'd reached her doorway now and thankfully Alex didn't make an attempt to come upstairs with her. Instead he stood in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"It feels like a relief to let it all out."

"I'm sorry."

Alex shrugged. "He's dead and Fisk is in prison. If there's anyone still running his organization, they aren't interested in hearing from me."

"What? Why?"

"To avenge him, Karen."

"Alex, you can't—"

"He murdered my brother."

Karen could hear the emotion in his voice. "Let the police do their job—"

"Do you think they give a shit? Half of them were arrested along with Fisk."

Karen said the only thing she could think of. "If you go after him, he'll kill you."

"No, he won't."

Karen watched a sick smile form on his mouth. "Alex—"

"You've played it coy, but you know him. Don't bother lying."

"Who? The devil? You're crazy."

"Maybe. But I need to find him. And I think you're the key."

xXx

Matt witnessed, helplessly, as Alex pushed a needle full of something into Karen's neck and then half-dragged her upstairs and into her apartment. He was lightening quick as he scaled the outside of her building and dropped down onto her fire escape.

He entered the apartment through the same window that he'd done so the last time. He immediately detected Karen's slow heartbeat coming from the couch.

"That was fast."

Matt heard the click of the gun as the barrel entered the chamber.

"I was nearby." He said slowly.

"Hands up."

Matt slowly raised his hands. "What did you do to her?"

"I'd be more concerned about the gun pointed at your chest, if I were you." Alex said as he circled around Matt.

"I'm not." Matt said and lunged forward, snapping the gun out of Alex's hand. He listened as it slid across the linoleum of the kitchen floor.

Alex was quick with a right hook to Matt's chin that sent him back a step. He recovered quickly and kicked the man in the stomach hard. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. He attempted to rise, but another punch to the head dropped him again.

Matt shook out his fist as he listened to the man's shallow, even breathing, indicating unconsciousness. Matt tied him up quickly to the furnace and turned his attention to Karen.

He moved immediately to the couch. "Karen? C'mon, let's go." He said as he pulled her to her feet. She was practically dead weight.

He could hear a few neighbors making nine-one-one calls and knew the police would be there soon. He put Karen back down on the couch and untied Alex, giving him one more punch to guarantee he'd stay unconscious. Matt eased himself out the window and waited on the fire escape until the police were breaking down her door.

xXx

"Don't say it." She mumbled weakly as Matt and Foggy entered her hospital room.

"What? I told you so? Nope. Not gonna say it." Foggy said as he came to her side and kissed her forehead. "Glad you're okay, though."

"Did the doctor say what he injected you with?" Matt said, tightly.

"I don't know. Some kind of sedative. Wore off fast. Just have a headache now."

"Well, you don't need to worry about Alex Bennett Wesley." Foggy stage whispered. "He's where he belongs."

Matt was surprised when he detected Karen's tears. "What's wrong?"

"Does he really belong in jail? He was only trying to find out who killed his brother?"

"No, he was trying to hold you hostage to get to Daredevil." Foggy answered, angrily. "Karen, he could've killed you."

"Can any of us say we wouldn't do the same? If someone we loved got hurt?"

Matt thought back to the night Claire had been taken. He hadn't cared who lived or died in that garage. He only cared about getting her out of there in time.

"Well, Foggy's right. It doesn't give him the right to hurt you or anyone to get what he wants. But maybe we can put the matter to rest."

"How?" Karen asked.

"Well, I'm positive the devil didn't kill Wesley," Matt paused and offered a raised eyebrow, "but maybe we can find out who did."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Not much of a note this time… We're almost done. Just one chapter to go! Thanks for hanging in there with me. Enjoy…**_

"He's what?" Karen couldn't move. She felt like her feet were frozen to the floor.

"He's out." Matt repeated.

"On bail. He's got on an ankle monitoring bracelet and he's been instructed to stay away from you." Foggy added from across the entry way of Nelson and Murdock. He tried to make it all sound procedural and run-of-the-mill to Karen, but the truth was that he and Matt had spent the morning in court arguing with the assistant D.A. All for nothing. Apparently James Wesley's estate was in the hands of his shark lawyer now and the money had been used to secure his brother, Alex's release.

Karen finally moved forward and put her things down on her desk. Her head spun. This wasn't going to go away. Alex would uncover the truth. Or Matt would. Either way, she'd lose everything.

Again.

She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Matt said as he gently massaged the knot in her shoulder blade. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Karen nodded, trying to smile. "I know."

"The D.A. has a strong case, but Alex's attorney will try and make a deal."

"What does that mean?"

Foggy stepped in and delivered the bad news. "It's his first offense. They're going to argue that he was grieving and didn't know what he was doing."

"So he's gonna get away with it?" She could hear the hysteria in her voice.

"No. They'll be some time behind bars."

"Okay." Karen closed her eyes again. "Maybe they're right. Maybe that's all this has been."

Foggy snorted. "Lots of people grieve losses. Most of them don't try and drug innocent people for information."

Matt could feel himself grinding his teeth and consciously unlocked his jaw. "Sometimes the justice system fails."

Foggy stared at Matt and Matt knew they were yet again on the precipice of the same argument they'd had since the night Foggy learned of Matt's alter ego: taking justice into your own hands. He didn't want to go around and around again on this. Yet, Foggy was right. What gave him the right to do what he did when others were being punished for the very same thing?

Matt could argue that he worked solely in the name of justice. It was never about personal revenge or retribution for him. But that wasn't exactly true either. He clenched his fist remembering how many times he'd punched the man that had held Claire captive in that garage.

And of course, there was Fisk. The night after Elena died, he'd gone to kill him. That was the simple truth. There was no denying it. That night, the devil in his heart had won. It was only sheer luck, or lack of, that had prevented him from completing his mission, and in effect, saving his soul. At least for now.

"I don't think Alex is going to bother you, Karen, but for the time being, I'd like you to stay at my place."

"I don't know if—" She hesitated.

"Please. I'd feel better knowing you're safe."

Karen looked up and into those red glasses that concealed his eyes. She wondered how safe she'd feel all alone at night while he did whatever he did as Daredevil. Still, she had to admit it brought her a measure of comfort.

"Okay. For now."

Matt smiled a little, happy with her acquiescence.

xXx

"I'm not making much progress on our other project." Foggy announced from the doorway to Matt's office. Karen had gone for lunch and given them opportunity to speak freely.

Matt pushed back from his desk and removed the earbud from his ear. "Yeah. Same here."

Matt stood and began pacing. "I'm trying to figure out where all the players were that night. We know Fisk was at the hospital. And Owlsley was there, too. All of Fisk's security detail was present. From what I can tell, Wesley left alone."

"Obviously he felt safe wherever he was going." Foggy commented.

"Or he thought it was more important to keep the men with Fisk. Clearly he was a target considering what happened to Vanessa."

"Was he, though?"

"What?" Matt answered.

"Was Fisk the target? Or was it always Vanessa?"

Matt stopped pacing and turned. "Whoever did this may not have been trying to kill Fisk; just to hurt him."

"Do you think it's possible Wesley poisoned Vanessa?"

"I think it's something to consider."

"If it was Wesley, and Fisk found out, he'd kill him for sure." Foggy said.

"I don't know. From what I've gathered, he was pretty devastated about Wesley. Apparently he beat one of his men almost to death for leaving Wesley's side."

"Jesus." Foggy swore.

"Yeah."

"And then Owlsley turns up dead a few days later."

"So, it could've been him? Why, though? Why would he try and hurt Fisk's operation? What does he have to gain?"

Foggy shrugged. "It seems like all the players were trying to get one over on each other. Most of 'um are dead. Or in jail."

"All except Madame Gao."

"Yeah."

Both men turned at the sound of the door opening.

"I'm back." Karen announced; arms full with take-out containers.

"Let's pick this up later." Matt said.

xXx

"You're not…going out?" Karen said, surprised, when Matt emerged from his bedroom in jeans and a sweatshirt.

"No, not tonight."

She smiled, feeling both happy and somewhat guilty. She knew that some deeper force drove him to patrol the dark corners at night, and despite the injuries, it kept him at peace.

She watched as Matt walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge to retrieve two beers. Even knowing his secret, it amazed her that he could get around so easily. Still, she understood why he had to continue to live as a blind man, despite his extraordinary abilities. Even the way he moved in the kitchen was slightly disconcerting. His aim was always spot-on, but he never 'looked' at what he was doing.

"There's not much here to eat. Wanna order a pizza?"

"Um, sure." She said as she rose to accept the beer he offered her.

Matt swiped his phone off the counter and hit the screen to activate the voice feature, telling the phone to call 'Salvatore's Pizza.'

Karen listened as Matt chatted before placing his order. He was obviously a frequent customer.

"Karen?"

Karen snapped out of her deep thought and realized Matt was speaking to her. "I'm sorry."

"Peppers? Onions?"

"Oh, um, anything's fine."

"The usual then, Carlos. Thanks."

Matt put the phone down on the counter and walked over to where Karen stood, watching.

"We're gonna get through this. It'll be okay." He reached out and took her hands in his.

She laughed more to herself than anything. "And then what?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I just mean, until the next shoe drops, right?"

Matt released her hands as he sat down on the couch and removed his glasses; rubbing his eyes. "I hope not. I hope things can be peaceful for a little while." He started to put his glasses back on, but her hand on his arm stopped him.

"You don't have to put them on…for me." She finished, shyly. "I know you don't wear them when you're alone."

Matt smiled as he folded up the glasses and placed them on the coffee table. "Okay."

"Why do you?" She asked and watched his face frown. "You don't need to answer that. Sorry. That was nosey."

"It's not nosey." He laughed. "Well, maybe a little."

"I'm exceptionally skilled at putting my foot in my mouth."

"Well, you're honest. I like that." He put his hand on her knee and squeezed. "And to answer your question, I don't know." He laughed. "Habit, I guess. I know that my eyes wander and it's displeasing to some."

"Oh."

"Does it bother you?"

Matt's voice betrayed no hint of self-consciousness; it held the timber of confidence that usually laced his words, yet she somehow knew he'd made himself vulnerable to her.

"No." She smiled. "No, it doesn't bother me." She answered and watched a genuine smile form on his mouth.

"Pizza's here." Matt rose and walked to the door and then out into the hallway, intercepting the delivery man.

"That's a handy skill." She commented as he reentered the apartment and put the pizza on the table.

"That was just following my nose. Nothing spooky."

"Oh."

Karen retrieved plates and napkins and then sat at the table with Matt. He'd finished his beer and retrieved a bottle of red wine from the kitchen. With the lack of light, except for the ever-present electronic billboard, and the cozy atmosphere, Karen felt herself relax a little. For a while she could pretend that she was a normal girl on a date with a handsome man; not a murderer on a date with a masked vigilante.

She almost let the bubble of laughter burst out of her, but managed to disguise it with a swallow of wine. Who was she kidding? She'd never be able to figure a way out of this? Eventually Matt and Foggy were going to put the pieces together. She could tell they were both like a dog with a bone; relentless. They'd keep digging until they had the truth.

"Matt?" She whispered.

Matt paused as he was about to bite into his first slice of pizza. He didn't know what she was going to say, but he could tell from her pounding pulse that he wasn't gonna like it. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever killed anyone?"


End file.
